"What did you say his name was?"
As though he could scarcely believe his ears, Zhou Gu repeated his question to the patrolling examiner.
"Xu Taiping. Why?"
The patrolling examiner looked at Zhou Gu in puzzlement.
Zuo Ju and Zhou Gu exchanged shocked looks.
"Brother Zuo, Brother Zhou, do you happen to know this young man?"
The patrolling examiner looked at the two curiously.
"No, no, we wouldn't say we know him. He was just in the area we were patrolling earlier."
Zhou Gu smiled as he offered an excuse.
"That still counts as something of an acquaintance. Brother Zhou, the two of you might consider getting to know this young man better. If he wins the next round, he could very well become the youngest cultivator our West Wind Pavilion has sent to the Dragon Gate Assembly in a hundred years. He'll certainly be entrusted with important duties then."
The patrolling examiner smiled at the two as he spoke.
"You're quite right, Brother Liu."
Zhou Gu and Zuo Ju nodded with smiles that never reached their eyes, a trace of viciousness flashing in both their gazes.
A short while later.
Clear Heart Courtyard, West Wind Pavilion.
This place had been temporarily converted into a rest area for the outer-sect cultivators who had come to compete.
"It's him. He's grown quite a bit taller, but it's definitely him!"
In a secluded corridor, Zuo Ju pointed at a young man drinking tea in a square pavilion across the pond and spoke with utter certainty.
The young man drinking tea in the pavilion was none other than Xu Taiping.
"Eldest Brother, he was the one who cost us our cushy posts at Raging Wind Hall last time and reduced us to this state. We can't let this bitter grievance go unanswered!"